ETHNOCENTRIC CONSUMPTION TENDENCIES OF SPORTS TEAM FANS

Abstract

In the sports industry, every individual who consumes the sports service as a spectator is also a fan. There may be differences in the habits of the fans, who are passive participants, in consuming sports products and services, depending on the team they fan and the way they fan. In today, sports clubs have turned into big companies aiming to make a profit, and giant sports brands have entered international competition in order to dominate the sector. For this reason, the consumption trends of the fans; it is important for businesses, clubs and all groups that provide goods and services within the industry. This research was conducted to determine the ethnocentric consumption trends of sports team fans towards sports products, it is aimed to examine the forms of fans and ethnocentric tendencies of football fans in Turkey. In this context, the "Ethnocentric Tendency Scale for Sports Products" was applied to 429 consumers who are football fans. In general, the ethnocentric consumption tendencies of football fans were found to be low, while the ethnocentric consumption tendency of Trabzonspor football team fans and groups that defined themselves as fanatical fans was relatively higher. It has been determined that as the education level and income level of the fans increase, the ethnocentric consumption tendencies decrease. It is thought that the findings and results of the study will contribute to the sports industry.